Using social media to build relationships at the tennis Grand Slams

Abstract

Purpose The aims of this study were to explore how the four tennis Grand Slams use social media to build relationships. Design/methodology/approach We conceptualised Relationship Marketing (RM) as a sport organisation's broad strategy, with Organisation–Public Relationship (OPR) as a reflective lens. Aspects of OPR allow for a focus on the nature of relationship-building content, while platform engagement metrics provide observable behavioural indicators of audience response to that content. A content analysis of 5,456 posts from the tournaments' official X (formerly Twitter) accounts was conducted. Posts were categorised into three types based on the OPR relationship categories: professional, personal and community. Likes, reposts and replies were used to assess depth of audience engagement. Findings Results suggest that tennis Grand Slams tend to use social media to develop professional relationships by sharing information and promotion. Posts characterised as personal relationship-building content generated the most likes, reposts and replies, suggesting that this content type was associated with stronger observable audience engagement. Posts categorised as professional relationship-building were less effective but generated more engagement than the much less frequently used community relationship-building posts. Originality/value In this study, OPR and RM are novelly blended to best frame how social media is being used to build relationships at the highest level of tennis – a highly commercialised part of the sport eco-system. New insights about the nature and effectiveness of social media activity in sport have emerged from this study.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Sport Business and Management An International Journal, 2026 · DOI ↗